


Taking My Time On My Ride

by Perfectly_Psychotic



Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Bikers, Disabled Character, Fluff and Smut, Major Character Injury, Multi, Physical Disability, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-05-20 21:18:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14902196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perfectly_Psychotic/pseuds/Perfectly_Psychotic
Summary: Tyler is a part of a biker group known as The Skeleton Clique, or just The Clique, but after an accident he goes from number 1 to unable to ever ride again.A few years later, he meets a new biker named Josh Dun, and realizes that he doesn't need to give up on everything just yet.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Salutations! Thanks for deciding to check out my story. This is the first TØP fic I've ever posted, though it's not the first I've written. I have plenty of material just floating around on my hardrive. Hope you enjoy it, and let me know how you like it as we go along.
> 
> NOTE: I do not know a lot about motorbikes, so give me some grace! Also, if you see something that needs correcting relating to bikes(or anything else), PLEASE let me know! I would really appreciate it!

Tyler laughed, a smile spread across his face as he launched his bike over each hill, soaring through the air and feeling on top of the world. And in the small suburban neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio where he lived, he quite literally was on top of the world (or at least at the top of his game); and that world was motorbiking. He was the best in the county, having had three previous first place wins in the county competion three years in a row. He was incredible.  
Tyler glanced back at his friends behind him on the dirt track and grinned as he prepared for his signature move: a triple somersault in the air before landing standing up on the bike's seat. He gripped the handles and prepared for the jump, confident he would make it after having landed it flawlessly for years.  
But this time, it was different; this time, he missed getting the momentum he needed to make the final somersault, and instead of landing on his feet he landed hard on his back, his bike crashing down on top of him. He felt no pain as he watched the other bikes fly past, some stopping as his friends rushed over. Just as a blurry mass of what he assumed to be faces came into view above his head, he was overwhelmed by a pressure in his body and was consumed by darkness.

**_3 years later_ **

"Yo, Ty, you coming?" Brendon called from the truck, and Tyler quickly closed his front door.  
"Yeah, yeah, just give me a moment, will ya?" He retorted, walking the fastest he could with the metal brace to the front passenger side door of Brendon's black and red Ford F-150. Brendon reached a hand over the console when he opened the door and helped pull Tyler up.  
"I just don't wanna be late, do you?" Brendon took off as soon as the door was closed (mostly), and Tyler frantically buckled himself in before answering.  
"No, but I will gladly walk if you don't stop driving like a maniac." Brendon grinned and slowed down slightly, taking the corners a little easier than before. They sat in comfortable semi-silence for a while after that, the 60's-90's rock station playing quietly in the backround.  
"You sure you're good with this? I mean, hanging out with us at the track is one thing, dude, but going to your first rally, the same rally, on the three year anniverary? I'm just saying, I don't want you to, to get flashbacks or have a panic attack or anything." Tyler smiled at the genuine concern that Brendon was showing, something he for sure didn't show often.  
"I'll be fine, Bren. Besides, I have you and the rest of the gang. It's not like I'm going alone." Brendon nodded, but continued to look over at Tyler from time to time with unsurity.

  
When they arrived, they were greeted at the bike drop-off enterance by Ryan and Mikey, who smiled widely at the sight of Tyler in the passenger seat.  
"Man, I wasn't sure you would actually make it," Mikey exclaimed as he helped Tyler down once Brendon had parked next to the bike load-off ramps.  
"Yeah, well I'm not sure we would have if Brendon didn't at least pay a little attention to the road."  
"Hey!" Brendon quipped from around the truck, and Mickey grinned.  
"He's not wrong," Ryan agreed from where he was unsecuring their bikes from the bed of the truck.  
"Hey, I thought boyfriends were supposed to be supportive." Brendon pouted and Tyler rolled his eyes.  
"Here, let me get you to the front row seats we saved you at the finish line," Mickey said when Ryan leaned down and started kissing Brendon. "Get a room!" He then caller over his shoulder, laughing when Brendon and Ryan both flipped him off.

15 minutes after Tyler had gotten situated, one of his old mentors came over to say hi.  
"Tyler? Is that you?" Pete asked as he walked closer, and Tyler smiled.  
"Pete, hey." Pete shook his head, a huge smile spread across his face.  
"Well I never. Tyler Joseph, at a rally once again. How have you been, man?" They hugged and Tyler motioned down to his braced right leg.  
"Well, still can't walk without this, and if you hit me on my right side anywhere I'd feel tingles, but not much else." Pete nodded solumnly and gave him a pat on his left shoulder.  
"Well that's better than a year and a half ago. I gotta go get the boys ready, but I wanna talk to you later and I'll let Pat know you're here." Tyler nodded and watched as Pete walked off.  
When Tyler had first thought of coming to the rally that had ended his career, he had been excited and confident. But as he watched the bikers put on their helmets and prepare their bikes at the line in front of him, he felt a familiar pain in his chest that he remembered getting the first time he went to the training course again with his friends a year and a half after the accident.  
Brendon was close to where Tyler was sitting, and he gave him a thumbs up and a smile before putting his own helmet on and swinging a leg over his gold and white bike. As Tyler scanned the biker's faces looking for his other friends before they inevitably helmeted up, he spotted an unfamiliar face next to Pete; and he was sure he would've noticed this guy before. The new (or new to Tyler) biker had light, cream skin and a smile that could light up a room paired with soft and radiant brown eyes that sat beneath a head of sky blue hair. He had in black gauges and his suit was white and red, somewhat matching his black and red bike. Suffice it to say, Tyler thought he was hot.  
"Tyler?" He finally noticed someone saying his name next to him, and turning, saw Patrick hunched over on a pair of crutches.  
"Hey, sorry. How long have you been standing there?" Patrick smiled and shrugged.  
"Long enough to know you got your eye on someone." Tyler blushed and stammered to deny it, but Patrick started talking again before he could say anything. "I've always admired you for that, knowing when someone is a good biker before you even see them ride." Tyler relaxed and nodded. It was true, and he had already decided that the new kid was a good biker, but he didn't have to tell Patrick the real reason he had been staring at him if the older boy didn't already know. Tyler's friends all knew he was gay, but that didn't mean he wanted them to know every time he found a guy hot.  
The shot sounded a minute later and the guys took off, reminding Tyler of what that thrill felt like. Every time they passed, Tyler would yell out an encouragement to the friend closest to him, which most often ended up being Ryan because he liked to stay on the outside. As Tyler watched, the kid he had noticed earlier suddenly did several of _his_ signature moves, and though he was impressed he also experienced a wave of anger.  
_Who does this guy think he is?_  Tyler thought to himself as he kept his eyes on the guy the best he could. At that moment, something on his biker suit caught Tyler's eye and when the kid rode by again he realized what it was; his old logo from before the accident, a vertical blue line that was intersected in the middle by a horizontal white line. _Oh. He must be a fan._  Tyler deduced, and his anger faded. On the final lap, Tyler watched the guy do some more of his moves and some of his own and he decided he definitely wanted to meet this guy. And he had a feeling the guy would want to meet him, as well.

The final "scores" ended up with the new guy first, Brendon second, and Gerard third. The rest of the listings were being posted, but Tyler didn't get to see them because Brendon pulled him back to the private bike shop where most of the bikers were cooling off.  
"Dude, did you see that guy?! He totally ripped you off with those moves." Tyler gave Brendon a look.  
"You know that's not what he did, and you're only mad cause he beat you." Brendon rolled his eyes and huffed.  
"Anyways, I heard he was well-known in Danville for his biking skills, but I didn't think anything of it because, come on-it's Danville- but I guess I was wrong." He started shoving his helmet into it's cover and Tyler quickly glanced around to see if the new guy was around.  
"I'd like to talk to him," he said casually after a minute, and Brendon actually paused. Tyler made eye contact with him and watched in horror as a grin spread across his best friend's face.  
"You mean, because you think he's hot and you wanna get his number?" Tyler felt his cheeks heat up as he again glanced around for the new biker.  
"Shut up, Brendon, I just wanna congratulate him on pulling off my stunts," he grumbled, and Brendon slapped him hard on the back.  
" _Of course._ " Tyler rolled his eyes.  
"I hate you sometimes." Brendon blew him a kiss.  
"But you love me more. Anyways, let's go find him for you." Brendon pulled him along as they went around the garage and outside to look for the biker.  
"Do you know his name?" Tyler asked when they spotted him.  
"Uh, yeah. Josh Dun." They stopped a few feet away from him and waited while he talked to a couple other bikers, but when he saw them standing there he said goodbye to the guys and faced Tyler and Brendon.  
"Hey, nice job today. You're Brendon, right?" He asked, and Tyler instantly fell in love with his voice. Brendon nodded and looked to Tyler.  
"Yeah, I am, and nice job to you too. I have a friend here who wanted to meet you, and I have a feeling you'll know who he is." Josh looked to Tyler and Tyler held out his hand.  
"Tyler Joseph," he introduced himself, and Josh paused mid-handshake as his eyes widened.  
"Like- _the_  Tyler Joseph?!" Tyler nodded with a smile and Josh gasped, shaking his hand a little frantically before pulling his arm away to run a hand through his hair. "Wow- dude, I am such a big fan," he said breathlessly, and Tyler laughed.  
"Yeah, I figured. I was impressed by the stunts, you pulled them off perfectly." Josh paused again before smiling widely and blushing slightly.  
"Man, thank you- seriously, thanks, that means so much coming from you." Tyler gave him a nod in welcome and looked at Brendon, who had a mischevious glint in his eye.  
"Hey, you wanna come to dinner with us? We're going to Rudy's." Brendon asked, smirking as Tyler's eyes widened.  
"Uh, sure, if you don't mind." The question was directed at Tyler, and he looked at Josh.  
"Um...yeah, no, I don't mind at all." Josh grinned and moved to pick up his helmet.  
"Sick, I'll just follow you guys then." He started to put his helmet on.  
"You're gonna take your bike?" Josh paused and looked at Brendon.  
"Well, yeah. I don't have a truck to put it on, so," Josh looked down, embarrassed.  
"Dude, you can use my truck," Brendon offered, and Josh looked up in surprise.  
"For real?" Brendon nodded and started to walk off, waving his hand.  
"Yeah, just follow me." Josh quickly hooked his helmet on to the handle bars and moved his kickstand, walking alongside Tyler as they followed Brendon.  
"So, you been riding long?" Tyler asked as they walked, and Josh looked momentarily surprised that he was still talking to him.  
"Uh, yeah. I wanted to start in 4th grade when I- well, when I saw you race for the first time- but my mom thought it would be too dangerous and told me I couldn't until at least 8th grade. Naturally, I disobeyed and secretly started to ride at the end of my 5th grade year, and I got really good, too. But then my mom found out and was livid, and forbade me from ever doing it again. That was, until she actually saw me ride in a video taken a few months after I had started biking, and my dad convinced her that it was good for me. So, for my birthday 8th grade year, they bought me my first bike, and I've been doing it ever since." Tyler nodded and found himself smiling at the story.  
"So I'm the reason you wanted to start biking?" Josh blushed slightly and nodded.  
"Yeah, actually." Tyler laughed.  
"That's funny." At Josh's questioning look he elaborated. "Funny because, at the time you watched me ride, I wasn't supposed to be doing it either." Josh laughed too.  
"Really?" Tyler nodded.  
"Well, I'm glad you did," Josh said quietly, and they shared a smile as they came to a stop behind Brendon's truck.  
"Ok, we can probably fit it in right between mine and Ryan's." Brendon was suddenly next to them and Josh looked up into the back of the truck.  
"Yeah, that should work." They spent the next 10 minutes getting the bike up and secured, and when they were finished Brendon sighed.  
"Ok. Now to go change." He and Josh walked off in the direction of the locker rooms, and Tyler turned to sit somewhat akwardly on the back of the truck. He was glad he had come. While being there again had brought back some bitterness he hadn't experienced in a while, he was glad he got to meet Josh and that he was going to eat with them. He hoped something could come of their budding friendship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Welcome to the second installment of this story. Don't have a lot to say here, but hope you enjoy! I appreciate feedback, so feel free to let me know how you feel about the story.

_I can't believe I'm sitting next to Tyler Joseph._ _ **Tyler Joseph!**_  Josh thought with a wide smile as Tyler slid into the booth next to him, giving him a smile.  
 _Wow, he has a cute smile._  Josh blushed at his thoughts and looked away from Tyler's gaze quickly, instead opting to play with the salt shaker in front of him. _Shut up, Dun, he's probably not even into guys. Especially not guys like you._ He looked up when their waitress came and watched as Tyler flirted with her. _Case in point._  Tyler suddenly looked at him, and Josh blushed as he realized he had been staring. "Uh, what?" Tyler grinned and motioned to the waitress.  
"This lovely lady wants to know what you want to eat." Josh looked up at the blushing waitress before glancing back down at the menu in front of him.  
"Um, just the everything wings, please." She nodded and wrote that down before smiling flirtatiously at Tyler and walking off.  
"Dude, you shouldn't lead her on like that," Brendon scolded Tyler with a grin, and Josh furrowed his brow.  
"Do you already have a girlfriend?" He asked Tyler, looking back at Brendon when he barked out a loud laugh.  
"Tyler? Girlfriend? Ha! No. Tyler's about as gay as they come, and you've met me." Tyler blushed and Josh smiled.  
"Sick, me too." Tyler looked up at him with a smile forming on his lips and Josh mentally slapped himself for sounding so over-excited. "Well, I'm bi anyway." Tyler simply nodded.  
"Awesome. You guys should exchange numbers then, because I'm tired of Tyler third-wheeling with me and Ryan." Tyler sent Brendon a glare while Josh shrugged.  
"Sure, if you want to." He looked to Tyler, who blushed deeper and pulled out his phone.  
"I'd love to."

Later that night, after Brendon had dropped Josh off at his house, he and Ryan both joked around with Tyler.  
"He's perfect for you." Tyler rolled his eyes at Brendon's comment.  
"Shut up, Bren." Ryan looked back from the passenger seat.  
"You guys would be cute together," he teased, and Tyler threw up his hands.  
"Not you too, Ryan!"  
"At least text him." Tyler shook his head and Brendon huffed. "Tyler, I swear to God. I was joking about the whole third-wheel thing, but I'm not joking when I say you need somebody. You look so damn lonely sometimes, Ty, and I know you think nobody sees you, but I do. And I'm tired of not being able to help you, man. I just want you to be happy." Tyler was taken aback by Brendon's outburst, and the three sat in silence for a few minutes. "Look, Ty, I-I'm sorry-"  
"No," Tyler interrupted. "Don't be, you're right. Ever since Derek left me, I've felt so...so empty inside." He swallowed hard and took a shaky breath. "Honestly, if it weren't for you two and the other guys at the track, I don't know if I would still be alive."  
If the silence had been heavy before, it was suffocating now.  
Brendon pulled to a stop in front of Tyler's house and turned off the truck, jumping out to run around and help Tyler out. Once he had two feet firmly planted on the sidewalk, Brendon placed a hand on each of his shoulders and waited until Tyler looked him in the eye.  
"Buddy, you know I'm always here for you, and so are Ryan and the guys. I know today was tough for you, but I'm proud of you for coming out, I really am." Brendon huffed. "I've said it before and I will say it again: we don't know how it feels to be in your position; but that doesn't mean we don't know what you've been through. You know all of us have been with you every step of the way, quite literally in some cases. And, sorry not sorry, but Derek was a dick for leaving you the way he did. Well, he was a dick in general, but you know what I mean. You deserved, and deserve, much better, Ty. And Josh is the 'better' you not only deserve, but need." Brendon paused and sighed, dropping his hands to his sides. "How about I ask him to come down to the training track with us tomorrow? That way you can talk some more." Tyler's eyes were glistening with tears, and he nodded after a moment.  
"Yeah, sounds good." By that point, Ryan had gotten out and was leaning against the truck, but when Tyler sobbed lightly he stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug.  
"We love you, Tyler. Don't you ever forget that." Tyler nodded and sniffed hard as he pulled away and gathered himself together.  
"Thanks, guys, for dropping me home. You guys are...are literally the best." Brendon smiled widely at that and gave Tyler a kiss on the forehead.  
"Of course we are! Now, see you at seven?" He asked as he ran around the truck and began to get in, and Tyler did his best to smile as he nodded his answer. "Sweet. See you tomorrow, then!" Brendon called before shutting the door and waiting for Ryan, who gave Tyler a small smile before climbing in. They didn't leave until Tyler had gotten safely through the front door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Tyler woke up at 4 A.M. in intense pain, and he had to call and wake his mother up to bring him medicine because he could barely move; something that hadn't happened for almost a year. As he waited for the medicine to start working, his mom graciously massaged his tense leg muscles to help speed up the process, and after an hour the pain had started to ebb away.  
"I'm sorry," Tyler muttered, silently crying from the pain and anger.  
"Honey, don't be. You know I've never minded getting up to help you," his mother reassured softly, rubbing a hand up and down his left arm. Tyler sharply breathed in as he held back a sob and she leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "You'll be ok. Do you still want to go with Brendon today?" Tyler nodded without hesitation, knowing that being at the track and seeing Josh would help calm his nerves. "Ok, honey. You best be getting ready to go, then. Do you want some help?" Tyler shook his head angrily, sighing in defeat a moment later.  
"Yes, please."

  
An hour and half, two muttered curse words, and three scoldings later, Tyler was sitting outside his house waiting for Brendon. 'Sitting' being a loose term, considering it took a fair amount of effort to adjust his brace in order to be in a comfortable position; he was more leaning against the bench outside the door than anything else. After a few minutes, Tyler heard Brendon's truck roaring down the quite street and most definitely waking up the whole neighborhood. Tyler couldn't help but smile, that smile quickly growing wider when he spotted Josh in the passenger seat. Josh looked up from his phone when the truck stopped and smiled back at Tyler. Brendon came around a second later and helped Tyler into the back.  
"Hey," Josh greeted him, unbuckling his seat belt and climbing in the back to sit next to Tyler. Tyler would forever deny the blush that crept onto his face at Josh's grin; he would always say it was embarrasment from having to ask if Josh was ok with him putting his leg across Josh's lap since he didn't want to take the time and bend his knee.  
"Glad you're coming with. Being at the track is always so much fun." Josh nodded.  
"Yeah, me too, though I was a little surprised when Brendon asked me last night if I wanted to come. He said you had asked for me." Tyler turned red again and narrowed his eyes at Bredon's sly grin in the rearview mirror.  
"Um, yeah," Tyler nervously laughed, "I- I wanted to see you again." This time it was Josh who blushed, looking down at his hands with a small smile.  
 _Perfect._  Brendon thought to himself as he watched the two fumble over their words and try to act normal. Tyler had finally found someone.

After picking up Ryan, Tyler connected the AUX cord to his phone and started playing songs. As it turned out, he and Josh had extremely similar tastes, and even Ryan rolled his eyes at thier loud singing. They arrived at the track very obviously, Green Day blaring out of the speakers and Josh practically falling out of the window as he half-stood to do an air guitar solo. They definitely weren't going for stealth, that's for sure.

Mikey, Gerard, and Frank were the first to come over and help them unload the bikes, greeting Tyler with fist bumps and introducing themselves to Josh.  
"You're the guy that did Tyler's stunts yesterday, right?" Gerard asked, somewhat accusingly, and Josh nodded with a hint of embarrassment and guilt on his face, even though he didn't know why he felt guilty.  
"Gee, leave him alone. He's just a fan, not someone looking to steal my work," Tyler playfully scolded, but the red haired boy just narrowed his eyes at Josh for a moment before breaking into a huge grin and giving him a slap on the shoulder.  
"Welcome to The Clique, then," he said happily, being echoed by everyone around them.  
"Thanks, I...I've always heard about The Clique, and I've watched a couple of the rallies you guys have done, but I never thought I'd actually get to meet you all." Josh was looking around at them with amazment, and when his eyes landed on Tyler a look of pure adoration flashed across his face (making Tyler blush yet again; it hadn't even been an hour, and he was already acting like a school girl).  
"Well, shall we gear up?" Brendon finally asked, and everyone agreed as they headed to the locker room in the building off the track, being joined by Pete, Dallon, and Spencer on the way there.  
"I'll see you guys out there," Tyler called as they entered the room, and a couple of them called back various things.  
"You're not coming in to change?" Josh asked, hanging back with Tyler, and Tyler shook his head.  
"No need to anymore, now that I can't ride." He motioned to his brace and Josh suddenly looked embarrassed.  
"Oh, right. Sorry." Tyler knew he was apologizing for both the accident and forgetting that Tyler then couldn't ride, so he just shrugged.  
"It's cool. Now, go get changed before they all finish and beat you out here," he shooed Josh off, turning and making his way to his normal spot a second later.  
"Mind if I join you today?" Patrick walked- well, hobbled- up next to Tyler.  
"Course not. What happened with you, anyway?" Patrick huffed and jabbed his crutches slightly harder into the dirt.  
"Stupid newbie at a rally last week, rolled over my foot and crushed the bone. Now I'm out for a least six months, and I don't know if I can actually take not riding for that long." Tyler glanced over at him.  
"Man, that must suck. Too bad I have _no_ idea how that feels; it's not like I'm permenantly paralized or anyhing." The statement was dripping with sarcasm, and when Patrick realized his mistake his eyes widened and he started to apologize.  
"Dude, I am so-"  
"You should be," Tyler bit out, cutting him off. Patrick stared at him tensely, but when Tyler's stern face broke into a smile a moment later, Patrick relaxed and laughed softly.  
"I am sorry for that, man. I didn't even think about it." Tyler shrugged and they were silent until they reached a grassy area under a big oak tree that was directly in front of the start and finish line and faced the whole track. After they had both gotten comfortably situated and stretched out under the shade, Patrick nudged Tyler's shoulder and smirked. "So I hear you've found a new guy." Tyler groaned and rubbed a hand over his face.  
"Did Brendon tell everyone about Josh? Jeeze, I'm gonna have to talk with him about that."  
"So it is Josh Dun, the guy I saw you eyeing at the start of the rally yesterday?" Tyler looked over at him.  
"What makes you think I was eyeing him?" Patrick gave him a 'duh' look.  
"Colored hair, gauges, a gorgeous smile, and beautiful eyes? Not to mention he's a biker and really sweet? Not only does that make him hella hot, but it also sounds a lot like another love interest from your past." Patrick was refering to the ex-boyfriend Derek, who, aside from the sweet attitude, did fit that description to a 'T'. The first time Tyler had ever seen him was at a rally similar to the one the day before, and Derek had had vibrant purple hair, white gauges, a perfect smile and brilliant blue eyes that sparkled with laughter. It had been "love at first sight" according to Brendon, who had made fun of Tyler for months afterward about how he had drooled over Derek. "So am I right?" Patrick asked, bringing him out of his memories.  
"Yeah." Tyler figured admitting it out right would just be better than the teasing.  
"Ha! I knew it. And I saw he came today, are you gonna ask him out?" Tyler huffed and glared at Patrick.  
"Why do you care? Besides, we haven't talked about _you_  calling Josh hot, and don't _you_ have a boyfriend already?" Patrick rolled his eyes.  
"Yeah, but just because Pete has my heart doesn't mean he's always the only one in my line of sight." Tyler gawked and smacked him on the arm.  
"Dude!" They both started laughing after a moment, but were quickly drawn towards the track as the sound of the bikes coming drew their attention. A little less than half the guys pulled up to where they were and put out the kickstands to wait for the others.  
"Hey, Tyler, Josh is looking good in his suit today," Dallon teased with a smirk, and a couple of the guys laughed.  
"Shut up, Weekes," Tyler called, blushing (yet again!). A few minutes later, the rest of the group joined them outside, Josh pulling up last after Brendon.  
"Ty, you wanna be the shot master today?" That was their name for the person who shoots the gun, starting the race.  
"Sure, why not? Not much use for anything else around here, might as well try to do something." He grinned and sat up, catching the makeshift gun Ryan threw at him. "You guys all ready?" He asked after a minute, and they all nodded. "Great. In that case, on your marks, get set," he yelled, then shot the makeshift gun up into the air. The group took off and Tyler smiled as Brendon and Josh quickly went from the very back to the front.  
"He's good, I'll give him that," Patrick said, and Tyler simply nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know this chapter is up really fast considering I just started it yesterday, but I'm impatient and didn't want to wait. But, don't expect a chapter every day, either. Tbh, I'm not really planning on having a specific schedule for updates on this story, but don't worry about it being months between chapters. More like a week or two, at most, and if it's ever gonna be longer than that I'll let you know.
> 
> Also, this isn't beta'd so...if you wanna help out let me know!
> 
> Until next time, my frens. Stay alive.|-/


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, sorry I took so long getting this up. I even had it finished when I uploaded the first two chapters, and I just forgot to keep up. Anywho, hope you enjoy.

Josh ended up coming with them for the rest of the week and many weeks after that, as it was summer and biking was the boys' life. Josh and Tyler slowly became closer friends, and the guys kept pushing Tyler to ask the blue-haired biker out. He kept refusing, still not really ready to try trusting his heart to someone else even though it had been over a year since breaking up with Derek; but that changed one afternoon three and a half weeks after Josh had started to come hang out at the track.  
The boys had finished racing for the day, and were laughing and talking about where to go for dinner when it happened. They were walking back to the locker rooms to change when suddenly Tyler cried out as his right leg spasmed and he collapsed to the ground.  
"Tyler!" Several of them yelled as they all rushed to help him up.  
"Can you stand?" Brendon asked as he held on to Tyler's right arm and shoulder, and Tyler winced in pain and gasped as his leg twitched again and he shook his head.  
"No, but I- ah, I need to lie down," he managed to say through clenched teeth, and Brendon nodded.  
"Okay. Come on guys, I need someone to help me get him to the infirmary." Josh immediately stepped to Tyler's other side and gently but firmly slid an arm around his waist, draping Tyler's left arm over his shoulders. They started off towards the infirmary while the others ran in different directions to get pain meds, set up a bed, and call Tyler's parents.  
"I'm sorry," Tyler ground out, and Brendon opened his mouth to respond but was beat by Josh.  
"Don't be, Tyler, you've done nothing wrong. Listen, my dad's a physical therapist and has taught me a couple things, do you think it would help to massage your leg when we get there? Cause I'd be happy to do that for you," Josh offered, and despite the situation Brendon smiled a little. Tyler didn't answer for a minute, but when they reached the room and another spasm hit him, he nodded quickly.  
"That would be great, yeah." Josh nodded his reply and helped Brendon get him situated on the infirmary bed that had been made up with blankets and pillows by Mikey and Dallon, Ryan coming in with the medicine a moment later.  
"Here, Ty." He gave Tyler the pill and handed Brendon a glass of water, Brendon having to help pour the water into Tyler's mouth because they knew he wouldn't be able to get a solid grip on the cup. After Tyler had swallowed the pill, Josh sat down at the end of the bed and carefully put Tyler's stiff right leg over his own.  
"I have to take off the brace to do this properly, is that ok?" Tyler simply nodded as he was racked with another spasm of pain, and Brendon stepped forward to help Josh take off the metal contraption surrounding Tyler's right leg from the bottom of his foot to up around his waist. Once it had been safely removed and placed on the floor next to the bed, Josh carefully rolled up Tyler's sweatpants and began to gently work his fingers up and down the calf.  
"Guys, let's go get changed," Brendon said quietly to the others in the room, and they all left Josh and Tyler to be alone. Brendon had done it somewhat to get them alone, but also because he knew Tyler hated looking weak in front of them all.  
Once the guys had left, the room became quiet save for the small whimpers of pain coming from Tyler everytime his leg spasmed. As time passed, however, and the medicine kicked in along with the benefits of the massage, Tyler relaxed and just watched Josh concentrate on being as gentle and efficient as possible.  
"Thanks," he said quietly after a minute, and Josh looked up at him.  
"No problem." He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but shook his head and went back to focusing on Tyler's leg.  
"What?" Tyler asked, and Josh sighed, glancing at him.  
"I was- I was there when you had your accident." Tyler felt his heart drop, and he clenched his jaw, flashing back to why Derek had left him. "I wanted to help, but I didn't know how; so I called the hospital every week to see how you were doing. My family prayed for you every night, and even continued after the hospital said you had been discharged, 6 months after the accident. I always wanted so badly to find you and tell you how much I've always looked up to you, but I didn't feel right with asking the hospital for your phone number or address. So I just watched for any sign of you at the rallies I went to and watched, but I only ever saw your friends. It wasn't until my family moved up here a month and a half ago and I entered that rally that I finally met you." When Josh finished he looked at Tyler, who was watching him with wide eyes.  
"I- I never knew anyone outside of my friends and family cared that much." Josh smiled shyly.  
"I did." Tyler took a shaky breath in and laughed nervously.  
"This may be a strange time to ask, but you want to go see a movie sometime? Maybe Saturday night?" Josh grinned and nodded.  
"Sounds good." Tyler smiled and they slipped into a comfortable silence for a short time while Josh finished rubbing his leg.

Later that week, Tyler nervously stood in front of the hall mirror by his front door and fixed his hair several times. He had taken an hour to choose exactly what he wanted to wear that night- black skinny jeans and a loose, plain white tank top that showed off his tattoos- but he was still nervous that Josh wouldn't like it.  
"Dude, you're hair looks fine, just leave it alone! I swear, you act like a teenage girl sometimes," his brother, Zack, said as he walked by to get to the kitchen.  
"Shut up, Zack. Besides, you can't deny the countless times you've stood in front of this mirror fixing you're hair and outfit before a date." Zack stuck his arm into the halllway to flip him off.  
"Zackary Joseph!" Their mom scolded from the kitchen and Tyler smirked. A second later, the doorbell rang and Tyler lunged for the door, only to be cut off by Zack, who yanked the door open and glared at Josh.  
"Do you really like my brother? Because if you don't and you break his heart, I _will_ hurt you," he told him, and Josh stammered for a moment.  
"I, uh, yeah, I really like you're brother." Zack narrowed his eyes at Josh and opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by being yanked back into the house.  
"Dude, leave him alone!" Tyler hissed, popping his head out a moment later and giving Josh an embarrassed smile. "Hi, sorry about that. Idiot brother escaped his cage today," He elaborated.  
"Hey! I did not, I'm not an animal, Josh!" Zack yelled as Tyler pushed him back into the kitchen.  
"Bye mom, be back later. Now you, Zacky, need to stay. Good boy." Tyler ruffled his brother's hair before high tailing it out the front door. "You ready?" Josh nodded, smiling, and turned to make his way to his car. Tyler took the oportunity to really look at Josh. He was also wearing black skinny jeans- only his had rips and holes around the knees- he had on a red tank top, red shoes, and had on a red hat that he was wearing backwards. Little tufts of blue hair were sticking out the front and Tyler laughed lightly.  
"What?" Josh asked, looking back as he opened the passenger door for Tyler.  
"Nothing. I was just thinking that if you like red so much, why don't you make your hair red, too?" Josh smiled and closed the door once Tyler was in, going around to get in on the driver's side.  
"Well, I actually made it blue because it was your biking color." Tyler blushed.  
"Oh. Well, thanks, I guess. I- I like it." Josh blushed and Tyler thought he was the cutest thing ever.  
"You- you think I'm cute?" Tyler paled as he realized he had voiced his thoughts out loud, and Josh laughed. "Don't worry. I think you're cute too, if that helps." Tyler grinned and looked down to play with his hands, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

15 minutes later they were pulling in to a Taco Bell, and Tyler was clenching his jaw. When Josh opened the passenger side door for him, his smile faded as he looked at Tyler's face.  
"Ty, what's wrong?" Tyler wouldn't meet Josh's eyes as he huffed a breath through his nose.  
"I-I'm in pain." He gritted out, and Josh immediately crouched down next to the car.  
"What do you need? Do you have any medication with you?" Tyler shook his head and hissed in a breath as a sharp pain went up his leg. "Okay...is there something I can do? Do you want me to take you home?"  
"No!" Tyler said suddenly, feeling bad when Josh leaned back a bit at the outburst. "Sorry, I just- no, I don't wanna ruin your- our night." Josh placed a hand gently on Tyler's knee, the same one giving him pain.  
"Tyler, nothing you could ever do would ruin a chance of me getting to see you, even if it's only for a short while." Somehow, Josh's words helped Tyler find the motivation to ignore the pain, at least slightly, and he took a deep breath.  
"I can make it. I- I just need..." he trailed off and Josh smiled softly.  
"Help?" Tyler closed his eyes and turned away, nodding. Josh lifted the hand on Tyler's knee to his face, his fingers twitching as he fought over whether or not to touch him, but after a moment decided he didn't care and gently cupped Tyler's chin. Tyler opened his eyes as Josh turned his face toward him, tears brimming Tyler's eyelids. "It's never weak to ask for help. I know that's why you often don't say anything when you're in pain at the track, but even if nobody else sees it, I do. And I'm sorry if I'm overstepping my bounds here, but I think you need to know that it is not weak to ask for help, _e_ _ver_." A tear rolled down Tyler's cheek and he nodded.  
"I know." He took a deep breath, and after a few minutes nodded again. "I'll need you to-" he huffed out an embarrassed laugh and his cheeks became dusted with pink. "I'll need you to carry me inside, I- I won't be able to walk." Josh grinned and took his hand away from Tyler's chin.  
"Sounds fun." Tyler smiled shyly at Josh and the biker couldn't keep down the butterflies in his stomach. "Now, you stay where you are, and I'll pick you up bridal style, ok?" Josh asked, and Tyler nodded, bracing to be moved. "Relax," Josh wispered, breath tickling Tyler's neck. He slid his arms around Tyler's middle and under his knees before lifting slowly and carefully until he had gotten Tyler out of the car. Pushing the car door shut with his foot, Josh readjusted his grip on Tyler and walked up to the double doors. "Um..." He stared at the doors and Tyler giggled despite his pain and reached down to tug open a door so Josh could wiggle them inside. Once in, he carried a red-faced Tyler to a back booth and gently set him down and helped him get his leg stretched out comfortably on the seat. "Well, now that we're here, what do you want?" Tyler shrugged.  
"Just a lot of tacos and some root beer." Josh nodded with a grin.  
"I can do that." Tyler moved to get his wallet out of his pocket and Josh shook his head.  
"Don't worry about it, I got you covered." Tyler opened his mouth in protest, but Josh cut him off. "No, I don't wanna hear it. I'm paying, and you're gonna accept it." He started to walk off. "Besides, isn't the guy supposed to pay for dinner anyway?" He called over his shoulder with a grin, and Tyler scoffed.  
"Hey! You calling me a girl?"

And hour and a half, 12 tacos, four drinks, and 3 laughing fits later, Josh carried Tyler out to the car and they headed to the movie theater.  
"You better let me pay for the tickets, at least." Tyler said, and Josh shrugged.  
"Eh, I guess I can make an acception this time." Tyler scoffed.  
"This time? Does that mean you already have plans for the next date?" Josh smiled and glanced at Tyler.  
"If you want to go out again; maybe next week?" Tyler huffed a surprised laugh and couldn't keep back his beaming smile.  
"Sounds good to me."  
They decided to see Avengers: Infinity War when they got to the theater, and Josh let Tyler buy the tickets and the snacks. Somehow, all of Tyler's pain had gone away in the last hour, so he was able to walk for the rest of the night. (Not that Josh needed to know that; Tyler still asked him to carry him back to the car after the movie just so he could snuggle into Josh's warm embrace.)

 

When they pulled up to Tyler's house it was already 11:00 PM, but Tyler was still hyped up on sugar and the feelings Josh gave him everytime they made eye contact or touched. He had Josh carry him to his front door and support him while he got out his house key. Once it was in the lock and ready, Tyler turned towards Josh and they locked eyes.  
"I had a lot of fun tonight," Tyler admitted quietly, his eyes flicking away and back to Josh's randomly as he didn't quite know where to look. Josh smiled widely and nodded, taking Tyler's hands in his own.  
"Me too. You wanna go to dinner next Wednesday? My treat?" Tyler grinned and nodded as well, running his thumbs over Josh's fingers.  
"Sounds good. See you at the track tomorrow?" Josh nodded and leaned forward slightly, eyes flicking to Tyler's lips. Tyler leaned forward too, subconciously flicking out the tip of his tongue to lick his lips. Josh suddenly darted forward and planted a kiss right on the tip of Tyler's nose, and Tyler gasped in surprise before they both laughed.  
"Good night, Ty. See you in the morning." Tyler was already missing Josh the moment their hands disconnected, and he watched and waited until Josh drove away before going inside and resting his forehead against the wall. He was completely gone on Josh, and he didn't have a clue what to do about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! I'll try to be better about updating in the future. Toodles! |-/


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I was gone so long! Took a trip to Ohio for a week and got sidetracked. I have returned, though! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

The next few days went by in a rush, Tyler and Josh stealing glances and smiles whenever they could at the track, everyone teasing them both for it, and Brendon nagging Tyler about asking Josh to be his boyfriend. Wednesday finally rolled around, and after taking Josh and Ryan home Brendon stayed at Tyler's house for the few hours before Tyler had to leave with Josh. And now, as Tyler got ready, Brendon gave him advive on how to properly ask a guy out.  
"Ok, so the trick to being slick about this is doing it the way I did with Ryan-"  
"Yeah, right. For one, you're not slick, and two, Ryan asked _you_  out! Not the other way around!" Brendon huffed and sent Tyler a glare.  
" _Moving past_ that detail, you wanna make it subtle when you ask. Don't like, say, _"Hey, so you wanna be my boyfriend?"_ Cause that usually scares guys off. Believe me, I would know. What you wanna do is ease into it, and say something like, _"Hey, so if you liked it tonight, then why don't we make this a weekly thing?"_  Make sense?" Tyler nodded distractedly and frowned at himself in the mirror.  
"Do you think you can see my brace too much through this shirt?" Brendon sighed and rolled off Tyler's bed to go stand next to him.  
"Ty, whether or not you can see it through the shirt, you can definitely always see it running all down your leg, so does it really matter? Cause I can tell you, it doesn't matter to Josh." Tyler looked at Brendon with a sad smile.  
"Thanks, Bren. See, you do have a heart sometimes." Brendon chuckled.  
"Shut up." He lightly punched Tyler's right shoulder and the boy raised an eyebrow at him.  
"You know I couldn't really feel that, right?" Brendon smiled sweetly and went back to the bed.  
"When's he coming, anyway-" He was interrupted by the doorbell ringing.  
"I'll get it!" Zack yelled from somewhere downstairs, and a moment later they could hear Josh's voice.  
"Hey, is- is Tyler ready?"  
"Yo, Ty, your boyfriend's here!" Tyler blushed and grabbed his phone as he and Brendon left the room.  
"See, Zack already thinks you're dating." He poked Tyler's left shoulder.  
"Yeah, but it's Zack. Would you really take anything he says for granted?" Brendon shrugged and reluctantly agreed as they hurried downstairs. As soon as Josh spotted Tyler, a radiant smile broke across his face and lit up Tyler's whole world, making his heart do jumping jacks and his lungs go into overtime. Brendon huffed a laugh at Tyler's smitten expression and waved at Josh as he passed him.  
"Hey, Josh. Have fun you guys, and stay safe. Use a condom!" He added for good measure, delighted by both of them glaring and turning a bright red.  
"You ready?" Josh asked Tyler once Brendon had pulled away and the fire in their cheeks had been doused slightly. Tyler nodded and yelled a goodbye to his family before closing the front door and making his way down and into Josh's car.

30 minutes later, they were seated and waiting for an appetizer at Chili's when Tyler was suddenly hit with the urge to tell Josh about Derek.  
"Hey, um, Josh?" He said quietly, waiting until Josh looked up quickly from his menu with wide, distracted eyes.  
"What? Oh, yeah, what's up, Ty? What do you need?" Tyler smiled a little and looked down at his menu to glance over the page, not actually reading anything.  
"Nothing, I just- I wanted to tell you about my ex-boyfriend, Derek, and why I haven't- haven't gone out without anyone since then." He chanced a look at Josh, and the blue-haired boy had put down his menu and was fully focused on Tyler, making his cheeks flush.  
"I'm all ears." Tyler nodded and put his own menu down, looking down at it and playing with a frayed edge.  
"I guess I should start from the beginning; I met Derek two years before my...my accident, at a rally. He was a lot like you, actually, but with purple hair, white gauges, and a jerk attitude. He was nice to me, though, and only me, and after he started to hang out at the track with us I aquired a major crush on him. Eventually, after we had known each other for about 6 months, he asked me out and we started dating. We quickly became the power racing couple, the #goals couple, the relationship everyone wanted to either be in or have themselves. It was perfect." Tyler glanced at Josh. "Then I had my accident. As you know, I was in the hospital for six months, in a coma for 3 of those months, and he visited me every weekend and whenever he could after school. We were still great, we were going strong, but when I got out of the hospital I started to notice he was becoming distant. He didn't look at me the same way he did before, and when the doctors told me that even with therapy I would never be able to ride hardcore again we got into a huge fight and broke up for three weeks. Those were some of the worst weeks of the whole accident ordeal, because I had to go through so much therapy and I had to do it without him. He did eventually apologize and ask for me back, though, so then we got back together and things went back to normal, we were great. Or so I thought. Fast forward to a little over a year ago, almost two years after my accident. Derek had forgotten to pick me up for a dinner date, so I had my mom drive me over to his house. When he didn't answer the door, I went in with the key he had given me and found him fucking a guy from school on the couch in his living room. I was heartbroken, and when Derek tried to stop me from leaving I had a stress induced spasm attack and he had to carry me back to my mom's car. After he had gotten redressed, of course. I refused to talk to him then, but the next day he came to my house to 'explain'. He told me that finding out I wouldn't be able to ride again had been something he didn't think he could handle, but had gotten over after that three week break-up period. Then, once we were back together, he said he started to realize that being with me would be too much work once he got a professional career biking, but didn't want to break my heart. When I asked him about the other guy from school, he said he had been seeing him because that guy would have sex with him and I wouldn't. And it's not that I couldn't, I've just taken a vow that I'll only have sex with the person I truely love and want to spend the rest of my life with. He knew that, and just didn't care anymore. So he broke up with me and told me no one would ever want to spend their lifetime with a cripple. Those were the last words he said to me, and I haven't seen him since." Tyler had never seen Josh look angry, but there was a fire in his eyes at that moment that simultaneously scared him and turned him on.  
"I swear to you, Tyler, that I will never do that." Tyler smiled at Josh and knew he was about to do exactly what Brendon had told him not to do.  
"So, with what I just told you, I hope you'll understand how important this next question is to me: do you wanna be my boyfriend?" Josh's face broke into a huge smile and the fire in his eyes flickered away.  
"Tyler, I- of course! I mean, I know it's only the second date, so, are you sure? I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you." Tyler looked at Josh with an amused smile.  
"I'm positive; I- you're the first person I've felt I can try again with." Josh nodded and took Tyler's hands in his own.  
"I promise I won't let you down."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tyler looked at Josh with an amused smile.  
"I'm positive; I- you're the first person I've felt I can try again with." Josh felt his heart skip a beat at those words, and he reached across the table to take Tyler's hands in his own.  
"I promise I won't let you down." He told Tyler, looking deep into his eyes to make sure he knew Josh was telling the truth.  
"I hope not." Tyler responded with a nod and a smile.

After that, the rest of the night went by wonderfully, and Tyler was glad he didn't have a curfew when they pulled up to his house at a quarter to 12. Josh walked him up to his door and again waited while he retrieved his key.  
"So, does the 'no-sex' vow also extend to kissing?" Josh asked as Tyler went to unlock his door. Tyler looked at him, and once he was sure Josh hadn't asked in order to mock him like Derek often did, he smiled shyly and shook his head.  
"It doesn't. Why, you wanna kiss me?" Josh grinned and stepped forward until Tyler could feel his breath against his cheeks.  
"As a matter of fact, I do." With that, he wrapped a hand around the back of Tyler's neck and gently brought their lips together. Tyler would forever deny the delighted moan that slipped past his lips when Josh slipped his tongue into Tyler's mouth, deepening the kiss.

After a minute, Tyler was so focused on everything _Josh_  that he forgot to pay attention to the things he was holding, and they both jumped when his keys and phone clattered loudly on the conrete.  
"Sorry," Tyler whispered breathlessly, and Josh huffed a laugh.  
"Don't be; here, I'll get them for you." He bent down and picked up Tyler's things, handing them back when he stood up.  
"Thanks for that." Tyler grinned, and Josh knew he was referring to the kiss.  
"You're welcome. See you tomorrow morning?" Tyler nodded and went inside, smiling at Josh as he turned to leave. After shutting the front door, Tyler quickly went to the window's in the living room and peeked through the curtains to watch Josh leave.  
The rest of the night, Tyler couldn't forget the feeling of Josh's lips on his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like the new installment. :) Thank you all so much for the comments, I appreciate the encouragment. :D
> 
> On a side note, we made it through the hiatus!!!! Dema has been defeated and our boys have made it out alive! Clancy survives. :)
> 
> Stay alive, frens, and I will see you next time. |-/


End file.
